handle with gloves

Also,handle with kid gloves. Treat with great or very gently, as in She has a terrible temper, so try to handle her with kid gloves. This usage probably alludes to the antonym,handle without gloves, meaning “to treat harshly.” Gloves made of kidskin, the hide of a young goat, are soft and pliable, whence the transfer to delicate treatment.
[ Second half of 1800s
]